AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordans cabinet on Saturday offered striking teachers pay hikes in a bid to end a damaging nationwide strike that has piled pressure on the debt-burdened country undergoing tough IMF-backed fiscal reforms amid concerns of a new round of demands by army retirees and other public-sector employees.

FILE PHOTO - Teachers gather outside one of the public schools during the first day of public school teachers' open strike in Amman, Jordan, September 8, 2019. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed

Over one and a half million students in the countrys public schools have been hit by the strike heeded by over 100,000 teachers after the government rejected a demand for a 50 percent pay rise of their basic salaries.

Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz, facing a barrage of public criticism for his handling of the strike as it enters its fourth week, announced pay increases ranging from 6 to 18 percent.

Its high time students go back to school. We hope the union will look positively at these decisions, Razzaz said, saying that the hikes would take effect at the start of next month.

The union, however, rejected the measure and criticized the prime minister.

You are imposing a solution from one side. This is an authoritarian method, Nasser Al Nawasrah, deputy head of the Jordanian Teachers Syndicate, said in a statement. We donate these bread crumbs to the government.

The government, which used tear gas to disperse protesting teachers at the start of the strike, says the unions demands would add to fiscal woes while the country grapples to curb record public debt of around $40 billion. The debt is due at least in part to successive governments adopting an expansionist fiscal policy characterized by job creation in the public sector.

Officials say Jordan can no longer afford to sustain a public sector whose salaries eat up the central governments $13 billion budget in a country with some of the worlds highest government spending relative to its economy.

Strike leaders and the government who met on Saturday in the latest round of talks were in emergency session to discuss the governments first pay offer in a deepening crisis.

The strike has turned in many of the countrys rural areas and smaller cities that are a traditional heartland of support for the government as a protest against successive governments failure to deliver on promises of economic growth.

The government has accused the teachers union of intransigence and of forcing its hand at a time when it says the economy faces a downturn and state finances are stretched.

Some officials have also accused union leaders of harboring the Islamist oppositions political agenda, a charge which the teachers union denies and says was part of a government smear campaign.

The government fears new pay demands by public sector employees, including doctors, and pension hikes to army retirees would wreck efforts to restore fiscal prudence for a sustained recovery.

Jordans King Abdullah ordered the army chief of staff on Saturday to approve a pension rise for some army retirees that would cost another 25 million dinars ($35 million) as a first stage, state media said.

Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Leslie Adler

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Jordan raises teachers' pay in bid to defuse nationwide strike; union unmoved - Reuters

Jordan Brand will reportedly extend itscelebratedpartnership with Virgil Abloh's Off-Whitelabel by releasingcollaborative Air Jordan 5snext year.

According to zSneakerheadz, wavegod_thelegend,andkickwhoshow, two newOff-White x Air Jordan 5 styles will arrive in February. Whilean early lookhas yet to surface, a mock-up photo suggeststhat standard Off-White details will be featured, includingthe trademark red zip tie and "AIR" branding printed on the midsole. If thereports prove to be true, this will mark the second Off-White x Air Jordan model to get a retail release.

The partnership between Off-White and Jordan Brand kicked off in 2017, featuringthe launch of a remixed "Chicago"Air Jordan 1 as part of "The Ten"collection.Prototypes of collaborative Air Jordan 4s were also on display at Abloh's'Figures of Speech' exhibit atMCA Chicago, but the pairs nevermade it to production.

As of now, twoOff-White x Air Jordan 5s arerumored to drop sometime in Februarybut keep it locked to Sole Collector for updates.

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Another Off-White Air Jordan Collab Is Reportedly Releasing Next Year - Sole Collector

Sportswear and apparel giant Nike (NKE) is known for many things sneakers, Just do it!, Michael Jordan and, of course, the swoosh. But some say its tech that sets Nike apart. Enter the Air Jordan XXXIV and Huarache Adapt.

The Air Jordan XXXIV is the latest shoe in the Jordan signature line. It is one of the lightest basketball shoes ever made, with an adult size 9 weighing in at 13.1 oz. The Jordan brand did this by stripping away any non-essential material. As Nike puts it, the Air Jordan XXXIV leaves athletes only what they need.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 07: A view the Air Jordan 34 worn by Zion Williamson at the Jordan Brand launch of the Air Jordan 34 in Harlem on September 07, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

Jordan Brand designer Tate Kuerbis says athletes themselves drove the brand to create the lightest shoe possible.

Athletes noted a desire to improve traction and reduce weight that became our starting point. We focused on athletes who are playing above the rim and making them more explosive, he said.

To help with stability, the Air Jordan XXXIV also sports the all-new Eclipse plate, the latest evolution on the flight speed plate that has been standard in recent Air Jordan models.Zion Williamson, the 2019 NBA draft first overall pick, will be wearing the Air Jordan XXXIV this upcoming season. It retails for $180.

In January, Nike unveiled the Air self-lacing Adapt BB. The shoe created a lot of buzz, as well as itsfair share of problemswhen some customers noted that the shoe did not work correctly on the Android system.

Nike Huarache Adapt NIKE

Nike is back with Adapt technology, but this time it has strapped it on the Air Huarache model. Nike even integrated Siri into the self-lacing process. Commands like tighten my shoes and release my shoes give runners a hands-free experience. The shoe, which sold out in minutes during a limited release, retailed for $350.

On top of cutting-edge tech, Nike continues to dominate on the financial side of things. Itreported its fiscal Q1 resultson September 24, and the company obliterated consensus expectations. The swoosh brand was expected to bring in adjusted earnings of 70 cents per share and revenue of $10.44 billion. However, the company reported an adj. earnings per share of 86 cents and brought in $ 10.7 billion in revenue.

Reggie Wade is a writer for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @ReggieWade.

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No gala or state event is currently being planned to mark the 25th anniversary of the Israel-Jordan peace treaty next month, in another sign that relations between the two neighbors have become increasingly chilly.

Among the issues dividing the two countries are Jordans decision not to renew Israels 25-year lease on the enclaves of Naharayim and Tzofar, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus recent vow to annex the Jordan Valley if reelected.

Haaretz Weekly Ep. 41Haaretz

>> Read more:Why Jordan is nixing parts of its peace deal with Israel | Explained Jordan may be the weakest link in Trump's peace initiative | Analysis

The Prime Ministers Office referred Haaretzs questions about the anniversary to the Foreign Ministry, which had yet to respond. Nor was any reply received from Foreign Minister Yisrael Katzs office.

Agenciesresponsible for the security cooperation between Jerusalem and Amman said they were not planning any event to mark the anniversary. The Institute for National Security Studies hosted on Wednesday an event to mark the anniversary, and ForeignMinistry sources said the ministry was involved in that.

Several senior Foreign Ministry officials attended the INSS event, which was organized in cooperation with the Ben-Zvi Institute. However, no senior representative of the government was there, nor was anyone present from the Jordanian Embassy.

The mood at the conference was pessimistic, and much of the focus was on the hurdles that have arisen since the agreement was signed. The invitation described the relationship as a cold peace, in which the mutual benefits of cooperation and the many common state interests are not fully understood by the Israeli and Jordanian publics.

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But the most salient symbol of the depth of the chill in the relationship was a secret panel at the conference that wasnt announced in the invitation. Two of the panel members were former Jordanian generals, who asked not to be identified by name and whose remarks could not be quoted or broadcast. Moreover, both arrived in Israel without having their passports stamped at the border. The fact that Jordanians fear to come to Israel openly epitomizes the state of the diplomatic relationship, 25 years after it began.

The experts who participated in the conference sought to identify the sources of the friction. Some focused on the conflict with the Palestinians, which hinders any possibility of a warmer relationship, while others focused on conflicts over the Temple Mount. Some noted that the two countries have always had a complicated relationship, while other speakers accused the current Israeli government of not working hard enough to rectify the relationship.

Other issues that arose during the discussion included the rift between the Jordanian people and the king, and the Trump administrations policies, which the speakers said arent helping matters.

The Israel-Jordan relationship has been cool for a long time, but it worsened following an incident in July 2017 in which an Israeli guard at the embassy in Amman shot and killed two Jordanians. The guard said he opened fire because one of them attacked him with a screwdriver. Upon returning to Israel, he was warmly welcomed by Netanyahu, which infuriated Jordanians.

Jordan allowed the embassy to reopen only after Israel expressed regret for the incident and paid compensation to the families of the deceased. The Jordanian newspaper Al Ghad reported that Israel paid around $5 million to the two families. It also paid compensation to the family of a Jordanian judge who was shot and killed at the Allenby Bridge border crossing in 2014.

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This is what frosty peace looks like: Israel, Jordan choose to ignore treaty's 25th anniversary - Haaretz

Borrowing energy from the 33, the Jordan Defy SP infuses more futuristic design language into a kit designed for the present day; with sensibilities refusing to go full force into the next century, its lifestyle elements come through shining in a utilitarianism almost synonymous with the current market. Uppers are intricate and chaotic due to its scattered panelling with sole units rounding off its the forefoot and heel, covered by various overlays, profile supports, and a contrast cap at its rear, dressing boldly this time around in a paint job of burnt orange. Adjacent hits see the same tone though with heavily textural suede fabrications, contrasting against the translucent synthetics of the underlying base and the mesh that outfits much of the toe box. Straps, which cover from edge to edge, are now boldly adorned with huge typography, adding an element of Beavertons overbranding though doused in a styling akin to the most iconic of the science fiction realm. Grab a detailed look at the pair right here and find it available at Nike.com right now.

Jordan Defy SPAvailable$125Color: Black/Starfish/Orange Trance/White Style Code: CJ7698-008

Make sure to follow @kicksfinder for live tweets during the release date.

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The Jordan Defy SP Adds Bold Text To Its Straps - Sneaker News

LAWRENCE On her website, Mary Anne Jordan places her hand-dyed, quilted and stitched fiber artwork into three categories: Flags, Rags and Signs. For the show opening Oct. 4 at the James May Gallery in Algoma, Wisconsin, the University of Kansas professor of visual art will exhibit artwork created in recent years as well as new work being shown for the first time.

I have two new large pieces, she said. They're 125 inches wide and 45 inches tall. So they're long and narrow. They're a kind of banner or flag. I have also completed several small works about 25 inches square that are composed of fabric remnants and scraps with intensive hand stitching.

Jordan said she likes to think of her flags and signs as warnings or acts of resistance.

The sign series references are recognizable, she said, like the caution stripes on the back of an ambulance or a dead-end road sign. I like that idea of the sign as being a warning or a promise.

Jordan also likes the idea of revealing some of her artistic process to the viewer. On her website she states that evidence of the personal mark and human body is of the utmost importance to her work.

In an interview, she said this is so because we're removed from our bodies with technology. And so a mark using the hand to create a crooked line or a sloppy mark even handwriting, shows a kind of humanness.

In the process of making, I can make the dyes run and smear on the fabric. I control the action, but not completely. I like the idea that one can see that a person made the work and there are smudges and splotches.

Utilizing pattern and nontraditional quilting processes, Jordan tries to infuse her work with narrative content without hitting the viewer over the head with it.

Jordan said her artwork exists on a continuum that has evolved over the years without radical breaks. She learned sewing as a child, but never made clothes, for instance. She took art classes at the Toledo Museum of Art and earned art degrees at University of Michigan and Cranbrook Academy of Art while concentrating on fiber.

There's definitely a thread and a similarity and a continuum, she said. It's become more or less narrative over the years. Some of my work in the 90s was more image-oriented. I use less images now and more pattern and color. I've gone through stages where I use more color or less color. As you can see, on my website, a lot of my current work is black and white.

Things look pretty stark to Jordan these days.

Rags, she said, convey the idea of domesticity and textiles that are used. Flags can represent identity, place and allegiance. Signs are warnings, announcements, notices, pleas.

I respond a lot to the news and politics. I don't make picturesor narratives in that way, but I'm responding to contemporary issues all the time; they often converge together. I refer to contemporary issues, but I also use fabric, sewing and references to historic textiles and contemporary art to represent my feelings about current events and culture. I'm really engaged with fiber/textiles materials and processes, and I hope that they represent my ideas successfully.

Jordan said she tries to hint at the works meaning in her titles.

I also use the history of textiles and quilts in my work, she said. Sometimes I jack with the name of a traditional quilt pattern like 'Rocky Road to Kansas.' There are traditional patterns with references to fences and barriers like 'Railroad Crossing.' I play with those ideas to create my own patterns like 'Warning Sign' or 'Four Patch with Damage' or 'Red Alert.'

Jordan notes that many traditional quilt-pattern names grew from hard times like the Civil War and Great Depression.

Women were making blankets because they were cold not for decorative purposes or art, but to keep their families warm, Jordan said. I'm making quilts for the wall. I recognize this ability to concentrate on artmaking as a privilege.

Jordan will show her work at the James May Gallery with her KU colleague Marshall Maude. (See related story on him here.)

Marshall and I have many commonalities in our work, Jordan said. We both use historic references from our craft while also making artwork that is aligned with contemporary art practice.

Their work will be on display Oct. 4 through Nov. 23 at the James May Gallery.

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Flags, rags and signs: The art of Mary Anne Jordan | The University of Kansas - KU Today

Exactly 18 years ago, Michael Jordan came out of his retirement a second time to join the Washington Wizards.

The 38-year-old signed a deal with the Wizards for two years in 2001, three years after his second retirement from the Chicago Bulls.

Jordan sold his 10% stake in the Wizards and stepped down from his position as their president of basketball operations in order to join the team. He also donated his first-year $1 million salary to victims of 9/11.

With Washington, Jordan started in 120 games and averaged just over a 40% field goal percentage with a 24.1% three-point percentage. Though his stats weren't as strong as in Chicago, Jordan still made some memorable plays with the Wizards, like this block/steal of Ron Mercer.

Prior to breaking his three-year retirement, Jordan had played over a dozen seasons in Chicago -- with a one-year retirement during the 1993-94 season. Four seasons later, Jordan retired for a second timebefore signing with the Wizards.

The hope was that Jordan, who led Chicago to six championships in 13 seasons, could revive Washington's role in the playoffs. That never came to fruition, and Jordan announced his retirement a third and final time after the 2002-03 season.

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WASHINGTON -- The Wizards have so many injuries going into training camp that head coach Scott Brooks needed help remembering them all atmedia day on Monday.

On his first attempt, he forgot about C.J. Miles, who is still limited after having foot surgery in July. Then there's Isaiah Thomas (thumb), Troy Brown Jr. (calf) and of course John Wall (Achilles).

But Brooks also had a new injury to report. Backup center Ian Mahinmi is dealing with Achilles pain and won't be a full participant when practices begin Tuesday.

"It's nothing serious," Brooks said of Mahinmi. "But we have some challenges ahead right now with our limited guys during training camp."

Mahinmi, of course, is not expected to play heavy minutes this season. He may not play much at all, even if he's healthy, due to depth at his position and the fact he has not been particularly productive in recent years.

Mahinmi getting this season off to an ominous start is not a great sign he will be able to rewrite the narrative of his career in Washington. This is the fourth and final year of the $64 million free-agent contract he signed in the summer of 2016 and so far he has not exactly lived up to the deal.

In three years with the Wizards, Mahinmi has averaged 4.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Certainly, the Wizards would like to see him do something to justify his $15.5 million salary this season. He's 32 and now nursing an Achilles injury, so expectations should be set accordingly.

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A select few NBA stars had the honor of receiving an invite to Kobe Bryant's exclusive training camp session back in August.

Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas was one of the 10players to participate in the camp.

A great opportunity and recognitionfor Thomas to get hand-picked by a future NBA Hall of Famer, but Thomas is not giving away many details on what happened at 'Mamba Camp.'

"We watched film with him. We did mind things with him. We did a lot. I don't want to say all the things because he might get mad. He was trying to keep like where no one knows what went down," Thomas said on Wizards media day.

Clearly Bryant is Tyler Durden and has created his own version of Fight Club. And if there is one thing we all know about fight club, you don't talk about fight club. Thomas might have revealed too much when talking to the Wizards media.

Thomas says that he and Bryant have had a relationship for a while and even called him "the best player to play the game". Never, though, had he received the instruction from the Lakers legend before this camp.

This camp could very well be exactly what the eight-year veteran needed to bounce back after the last stretch of his career. Since being traded from the Celtics in 2017 he has played in 44 games over two seasons for three separate teams. Thomas went from being a two-time All-Star in Boston to being sent around the league as an adequate backup.

In Washington, he may get the chance to start again in John Wall's absence.

From the wise words of Tyler Durden: "It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."

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On this day: Michael Jordan came out of retirement to play for the Wizards - NBCSports.com

Jordan, Arab country of Southwest Asia, in the rocky desert of the northern Arabian Peninsula.

Jordan is a young state that occupies an ancient land, one that bears the traces of many civilizations. Separated from ancient Palestine by the Jordan River, the region played a prominent role in biblical history. The ancient biblical kingdoms of Moab, Gilead, and Edom lie within its borders, as does the famed red stone city of Petra, the capital of the Nabatean kingdom and of the Roman province of Arabia Petraea. British traveler Gertrude Bell said of Petra, It is like a fairy tale city, all pink and wonderful. Part of the Ottoman Empire until 1918 and later a mandate of the United Kingdom, Jordan has been an independent kingdom since 1946. It is among the most politically liberal countries of the Arab world, and, although it shares in the troubles affecting the region, its rulers have expressed a commitment to maintaining peace and stability.

The capital and largest city in the country is Ammannamed for the Ammonites, who made the city their capital in the 13th century bce. Amman was later a great city of Middle Eastern antiquity, Philadelphia, of the Roman Decapolis, and now serves as one of the regions principal commercial and transportation centres as well as one of the Arab worlds major cultural capitals.

Slightly smaller in area than the country of Portugal, Jordan is bounded to the north by Syria, to the east by Iraq, to the southeast and south by Saudi Arabia, and to the west by Israel and the West Bank. The West Bank area (so named because it lies just west of the Jordan River) was under Jordanian rule from 1948 to 1967, but in 1988 Jordan renounced its claims to the area. Jordan has 16 miles (26 km) of coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba in the southwest, where Al-Aqabah, its only port, is located.

Jordan has three major physiographic regions (from east to west): the desert, the uplands east of the Jordan River, and the Jordan Valley (the northwest portion of the great East African Rift System).

The desert region is mostly within the Syrian Desertan extension of the Arabian Desertand occupies the eastern and southern parts of the country, comprising more than four-fifths of its territory. The deserts northern part is composed of volcanic lava and basalt, and its southern part of outcrops of sandstone and granite. The landscape is much eroded, primarily by wind. The uplands east of the Jordan River, an escarpment overlooking the rift valley, have an average elevation of 2,0003,000 feet (600900 metres) and rise to about 5,755 feet (1,754 metres) at Mount Ramm, Jordans highest point, in the south. Outcrops of sandstone, chalk, limestone, and flint extend to the extreme south, where igneous rocks predominate.

The Jordan Valley drops to about 1,410 feet (430 metres) below sea level at the Dead Sea, the lowest natural point on Earths surface.

The Jordan River, approximately 186 miles (300 km) in length, meanders south, draining the waters of Lake Tiberias (better known as the Sea of Galilee), the Yarmk River, and the valley streams of both plateaus into the Dead Sea, which occupies the central area of the valley. The soil of its lower reaches is highly saline, and the shores of the Dead Sea consist of salt marshes that do not support vegetation. To its south, Wadi al-Arabah (also called Wadi al-Jayb), a completely desolate region, is thought to contain mineral resources.

In the northern uplands several valleys containing perennial streams run west; around Al-Karak they flow west, east, and north; south of Al-Karak intermittent valley streams run east toward Al-Jafr Depression.

The countrys best soils are found in the Jordan Valley and in the area southeast of the Dead Sea. The topsoil in both regions consists of alluviumdeposited by the Jordan River and washed from the uplands, respectivelywith the soil in the valley generally being deposited in fans spread over various grades of marl.

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Jordan | History, Population, Flag, Map, & Facts ...

Jordan's Furniture offers the largest selection of quality name-brand furniture and mattresses in New England. Visit any of our locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire or Rhode Island and experience the Jordans difference. Stroll through hundreds of sofas and sectionals and choose from thousands of fabric and leather options for your sofa, chair, sectional, recliners, even ottomans! Let our sleep technicians help you select the perfect mattress from the best brands in the industry. Create the ultimate backyard retreat with our extensive selection of outdoor furniture ranging in all styles from rustic country to traditional to contemporary. Pick the perfect pool table for the family room. We offer the best prices every day on sofas, sectionals, mattresses, dining sets, bedroom sets, kids furniture, rugs and more. Each store offers a unique experience for the entire family to enjoy; grab a bite to eat, watch the latest blockbuster at one of our Sunbrella IMAX theaters in Natick or Reading, or have an adventure at one of our two ropes courses in Reading or New Haven. Visit a Jordan's Furniture and see for yourself why its not just a store, its an experience!

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Shop Sofas, Mattresses, Sectionals and more at Jordan's ...

Ancient Hospitality

Jordan has a tradition of welcoming visitors: camel caravans plied the legendary Kings Highway transporting frankincense in exchange for spices while Nabataean tradesmen, Roman legionnaires, Muslim armies and zealous Crusaders all passed through the land, leaving behind impressive monuments. These monuments, including Roman amphitheatres, Crusader castles and Christian mosaics, have fascinated subsequent travellers in search of antiquity and the origins of faith. The tradition of hospitality to visitors remains to this day.

Petra, the ancient Nabataean city locked in the heart of Jordans sandstone escarpments, is the jewel in the crown of the countrys many antiquities. Ever since explorer Jean Louis Burckhardt brought news of the pink-hued necropolis back to Europe in the 19th century, the walk through the Siq to the Treasury (Petras defining monument) has impressed even the most travel weary of visitors. With sites flung over a vast rocky landscape and a mood that changes with the shifting light of dawn and dusk, this is a highlight that rewards a longer visit.

Take a ride through Wadi Rum at sunset, and it's easy to see why TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) was so drawn to this land of weathered sandstone and reddened dunes. But Jordan's desert landscapes are not confined to the southeast: they encompass a salt sea at the lowest point on earth, canyons flowing with seasonal water, oases of palm trees and explosions of springtime flowers scattered across arid hills. Minimal planning and only a modest budget is required for an adventure.

It takes tolerance to host endless waves of incomers, and Jordan has displayed that virtue amply, absorbing thousands of refugees from the Palestinian Territories, Iraq and most recently Syria. Despite contending with this and with large numbers of tourists who are often insensitive to conservative Jordanian values, rural life in particular has managed to keep continuity with the traditions of the past. While Jordan faces the challenges of modernisation and growing urbanisation, it remains one of the safest countries in which to gain an impression of the quintessential Middle East.

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Jordan travel - Lonely Planet

American Rhetoric: MovieSpeech

"Braveheart" (1995)

William Wallace: Address to Scottish Army at Stirling

Audio mp3 of Address

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Wallace: Sons of Scotland, I am William Wallace.

Young soldier: William Wallace is 7 feet tall.

Wallace: Yes, I've heard. Kills men by the hundreds, and if he were here he'd consume the English with fireballs from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his arse. I AM William Wallace. And I see a whole army of my countrymen here in defiance of tyranny. You have come to fight as free men, and free men you are. What would you do with that freedom? Will you fight?

Veteran soldier: Fight? Against that? No, we will run; and we will live.

Wallace: Aye, fight and you may die. Run and you'll live -- at least a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!!!

Wallace and Soldiers: Alba gu bra! (Scotland forever!)

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American Rhetoric: Movie Speech from Braveheart - William ...

Alternative Titles:Al-Mamlakah al-Urdunyah al-Hshimyah, Al-Urdun, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Jordan, Arab country of Southwest Asia, in the rocky desert of the northern Arabian Peninsula.

Jordan is a young state that occupies an ancient land, one that bears the traces of many civilizations. Separated from ancient Palestine by the Jordan River, the region played a prominent role in biblical history. The ancient biblical kingdoms of Moab, Gilead, and Edom lie within its borders, as does the famed red stone city of Petra, the capital of the Nabatean kingdom and of the Roman province of Arabia Petraea. British traveler Gertrude Bell said of Petra, It is like a fairy tale city, all pink and wonderful. Part of the Ottoman Empire until 1918 and later a mandate of the United Kingdom, Jordan has been an independent kingdom since 1946. It is among the most politically liberal countries of the Arab world, and, although it shares in the troubles affecting the region, its rulers have expressed a commitment to maintaining peace and stability.

The capital and largest city in the country is Ammannamed for the Ammonites, who made the city their capital in the 13th century bce. Amman was later a great city of Middle Eastern antiquity, Philadelphia, of the Roman Decapolis, and now serves as one of the regions principal commercial and transportation centres as well as one of the Arab worlds major cultural capitals.

Slightly smaller in area than the country of Portugal, Jordan is bounded to the north by Syria, to the east by Iraq, to the southeast and south by Saudi Arabia, and to the west by Israel and the West Bank. The West Bank area (so named because it lies just west of the Jordan River) was under Jordanian rule from 1948 to 1967, but in 1988 Jordan renounced its claims to the area. Jordan has 16 miles (26 km) of coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba in the southwest, where Al-Aqabah, its only port, is located.

Jordan has three major physiographic regions (from east to west): the desert, the uplands east of the Jordan River, and the Jordan Valley (the northwest portion of the great East African Rift System).

The desert region is mostly within the Syrian Desertan extension of the Arabian Desertand occupies the eastern and southern parts of the country, comprising more than four-fifths of its territory. The deserts northern part is composed of volcanic lava and basalt, and its southern part of outcrops of sandstone and granite. The landscape is much eroded, primarily by wind. The uplands east of the Jordan River, an escarpment overlooking the rift valley, have an average elevation of 2,0003,000 feet (600900 metres) and rise to about 5,755 feet (1,754 metres) at Mount Ramm, Jordans highest point, in the south. Outcrops of sandstone, chalk, limestone, and flint extend to the extreme south, where igneous rocks predominate.

The Jordan Valley drops to about 1,410 feet (430 metres) below sea level at the Dead Sea, the lowest natural point on Earths surface.

The Jordan River, approximately 186 miles (300 km) in length, meanders south, draining the waters of Lake Tiberias (better known as the Sea of Galilee), the Yarmk River, and the valley streams of both plateaus into the Dead Sea, which occupies the central area of the valley. The soil of its lower reaches is highly saline, and the shores of the Dead Sea consist of salt marshes that do not support vegetation. To its south, Wadi al-Arabah (also called Wadi al-Jayb), a completely desolate region, is thought to contain mineral resources.

In the northern uplands several valleys containing perennial streams run west; around Al-Karak they flow west, east, and north; south of Al-Karak intermittent valley streams run east toward Al-Jafr Depression.

The countrys best soils are found in the Jordan Valley and in the area southeast of the Dead Sea. The topsoil in both regions consists of alluviumdeposited by the Jordan River and washed from the uplands, respectivelywith the soil in the valley generally being deposited in fans spread over various grades of marl.

See the original post:

Jordan | History, Population, Flag, Map, & Facts | Britannica.com

Ancient Hospitality

Jordan has a tradition of welcoming visitors: camel caravans plied the legendary Kings Highway transporting frankincense in exchange for spices while Nabataean tradesmen, Roman legionnaires, Muslim armies and zealous Crusaders all passed through the land, leaving behind impressive monuments. These monuments, including Roman amphitheatres, Crusader castles and Christian mosaics, have fascinated subsequent travellers in search of antiquity and the origins of faith. The tradition of hospitality to visitors remains to this day.

Petra, the ancient Nabataean city locked in the heart of Jordans sandstone escarpments, is the jewel in the crown of the countrys many antiquities. Ever since explorer Jean Louis Burckhardt brought news of the pink-hued necropolis back to Europe in the 19th century, the walk through the Siq to the Treasury (Petras defining monument) has impressed even the most travel weary of visitors. With sites flung over a vast rocky landscape and a mood that changes with the shifting light of dawn and dusk, this is a highlight that rewards a longer visit.

Take a ride through Wadi Rum at sunset, and it's easy to see why TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) was so drawn to this land of weathered sandstone and reddened dunes. But Jordan's desert landscapes are not confined to the southeast: they encompass a salt sea at the lowest point on earth, canyons flowing with seasonal water, oases of palm trees and explosions of springtime flowers scattered across arid hills. Minimal planning and only a modest budget is required for an adventure.

It takes tolerance to host endless waves of incomers, and Jordan has displayed that virtue amply, absorbing thousands of refugees from the Palestinian Territories, Iraq and most recently Syria. Despite contending with this and with large numbers of tourists who are often insensitive to conservative Jordanian values, rural life in particular has managed to keep continuity with the traditions of the past. While Jordan faces the challenges of modernisation and growing urbanisation, it remains one of the safest countries in which to gain an impression of the quintessential Middle East.

Read Less

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Jordan travel | Middle East - Lonely Planet

Criminal Penalties:You are subject to local laws. If you violate local laws, even unknowingly, you may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned.

Furthermore, some laws are also prosecutable in the U.S., regardless of local law. For examples, see our website on crimes against minors abroad and the Department of Justice website.

The Jordanian constitution provides for freedom of speech and of the press with some restrictions. Insulting the King or members of the Royal Family may lead to detainment or imprisonment. Additionally, activities that the Jordanian government considers proselytizing to Muslims (including the distribution of religious material) are forbidden under the law and anyone undertaking these activities is subject to prosecution, imprisonment, and deportation. Please see the information below on Islam as the state religion of Jordan.

Jordanian courts may impose criminal penalties, including imprisonment, for alleged infractions that in the United States would be resolved in civil courts. The U.S. Embassy is aware of several cases involving business or financial disputes that resulted in lengthy pre-trial detention and imprisonment under local financial crimes laws.

Jordan has very strict drug laws; drug offenses fall under the umbrella of state security and adhere to a different set of criminal procedures than other offenses. Accused offenders can be detained for up to two weeks without charges; this delay can result in the Embassy not being notified about the detainment because an official arrest has not taken place. It is illegal to use and/or distribute drugs in Jordan.

Arrest Notification:If you are arrested or detained, ask police or prison officials to notify the U.S. Embassy immediately. See our webpage for further information.

Family Circumstances: The U.S. Embassy is aware of cases where U.S. citizens have been subject to domestic violence and abandonment by their spouses, including incidents of restrictions of movement through travel holds, loss of custody of children or forced marriage. Women and children should pay particular attention to any warning signs, including husbands or other family members withholding money or travel documents for such purposes after arrival in Jordan. Cases of domestic violence should be reported to the Family Protection Department, which is part of the national police. Travelers should also be aware that U.S. laws cannot protect U.S. citizens when they are outside of the United States.

Travel Holds: Under Jordanian law, any adult male may prevent his minor children from leaving Jordan by simply registering a hold on their travel with the Jordanian authorities. Husbands may place travel holds on their wives pursuant to a court order from a Jordanian court. Adult male relatives (uncles, brothers, grandfathers) may also petition Jordanian courts for a travel hold on their unmarried adult female relatives. Immigration officials may prevent minor children traveling with their mothers from departing Jordan without the fathers affirmative consent. This is possible even if the child or woman holds only U.S. nationality. Jordanian authorities consider disputes surrounding travel holds as private family matters, and the Embassy is limited in its ability to intervene. Travel holds may only be removed by the person who placed them or by a court. Please see the section below on Childrens Issues.

Male Military Requirement: U.S. citizen males who also hold Jordanian citizenship may be subject to laws that impose military service obligations on Jordanians. Jordanian men under age 40 are required to register for service in the Jordanian military. Those subject to registration may be prevented from leaving Jordan until exit permission is obtained from appropriate Jordanian authorities. This permission is often granted to U.S. citizens, but may take some time to obtain and may be limited to a single exit.

Dual Citizenship: The Government of Jordan considers U.S.-Jordanian dual nationals to be Jordanian citizens. Local authorities typically do not notify the U.S. Embassy of arrests, detentions, or accidents involving dual nationals. For this reason, dual nationals in particular should carry copies of their U.S. passports with them at all times so that evidence of their identity and U.S. citizenship is readily available for local authorities.

For additional information, see our information on Dual Nationality.

Customs: Jordanian customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into or export from Jordan of items such as drugs, firearms, poisons, chemicals, explosives, pornographic materials, communications equipment, and antiquities, among other items. You should contact the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordanin Washington, D.C., or one of the Jordanian consulates in the United States, if you seek specific information regarding customs requirements.

Please also refer to our Customs Informationpage for additional information.

Faith-Based Travelers: See the Department of States International Religious Freedom Report.

Islam is the state religion of Jordan. The Jordanian government generally does not interfere in religious practices. Some religious groups, however, cannot obtain legal recognition of their denominations. On official documents such as birth and wedding certificates, the Government of Jordan only allows affiliation with legally recognized faiths: Islam, certain Christian churches, and Judaism. Not listing an affiliated faith, or listing a faith outside those recognized by the government, is generally not permitted. Activities such as proselytizing or encouraging conversion to any faith other than Islam are prohibited. U.S. citizens have been detained, arrested, and deported for discussing or trying to engage Jordanians in discussions about religion, even if such discussions also involve other activities, such as humanitarian aid.

LGBTI Travelers: LGBTI status and/or conduct are not criminalized in Jordan; however, laws against adultery or breaches of modesty may be used against LGBTI travelers. Public displays of affection between individuals of the same sex are not considered culturally acceptable. Foreigners exhibiting such behavior or expressing themselves outside of traditional gender norms in terms of dress or appearance may face greater risk of official and societal harassment by and/or to betargets of violence. Gay and lesbian Jordanians frequently hide their sexuality, especially from family members. Family members who discover that a relative is LGBTI may target them for honor killing. See our LGBTI Travel Information page and section 6 of our Human Rights report for further details.

Travelers Who Require Accessibility Assistance: While in Jordan, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what is found in the United States. Outside of a few of the more upscale hotels in the capital, individuals with disabilities will find almost no accessible accommodations. Similarly there are very few accessible restaurants, shops, or historical sites. Transportation is not accessible and sidewalks and crosswalks, even in the main cities, are not accessible. Handicap-accessible toilets and bathrooms, even in major hospitals, are generally not available.

Students: See our Students Abroad page and FBI travel tips.

Women Travelers: If you are a woman traveling abroad, please review our travel tips for Women Travelers.

Women visiting and residing in Jordan have reported incidents of sexual harassment, stalking, indecent exposure, and assault. The Embassy continues to receive sporadic reports regarding incidents of sexual assaults involving taxis and taxi drivers. Many of the incidents have involved verbal sexual harassment, staring, or following the victim. Some have included physical assaults. To reduce the likelihood of being victimized, women should take precautions such as avoiding travel to unfamiliar areas at night, not traveling alone, not riding in the front seat of a taxi, and consider dressing modestly when in public. We also recommend carrying a cell phone at all times. Immediately report any incidents to the Family ProtectiProtection Department, which is part of the national police and can be reached by calling 911.

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Jordan International Travel Information

Alternative Titles:Al-Mamlakah al-Urdunyah al-Hshimyah, Al-Urdun, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Jordan, Arab country of Southwest Asia, in the rocky desert of the northern Arabian Peninsula.

Jordan is a young state that occupies an ancient land, one that bears the traces of many civilizations. Separated from ancient Palestine by the Jordan River, the region played a prominent role in biblical history. The ancient biblical kingdoms of Moab, Gilead, and Edom lie within its borders, as does the famed red stone city of Petra, the capital of the Nabatean kingdom and of the Roman province of Arabia Petraea. British traveler Gertrude Bell said of Petra, It is like a fairy tale city, all pink and wonderful. Part of the Ottoman Empire until 1918 and later a mandate of the United Kingdom, Jordan has been an independent kingdom since 1946. It is among the most politically liberal countries of the Arab world, and, although it shares in the troubles affecting the region, its rulers have expressed a commitment to maintaining peace and stability.

The capital and largest city in the country is Ammannamed for the Ammonites, who made the city their capital in the 13th century bce. Amman was later a great city of Middle Eastern antiquity, Philadelphia, of the Roman Decapolis, and now serves as one of the regions principal commercial and transportation centres as well as one of the Arab worlds major cultural capitals.

Slightly smaller in area than the country of Portugal, Jordan is bounded to the north by Syria, to the east by Iraq, to the southeast and south by Saudi Arabia, and to the west by Israel and the West Bank. The West Bank area (so named because it lies just west of the Jordan River) was under Jordanian rule from 1948 to 1967, but in 1988 Jordan renounced its claims to the area. Jordan has 16 miles (26 km) of coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba in the southwest, where Al-Aqabah, its only port, is located.

Jordan has three major physiographic regions (from east to west): the desert, the uplands east of the Jordan River, and the Jordan Valley (the northwest portion of the great East African Rift System).

The desert region is mostly within the Syrian Desertan extension of the Arabian Desertand occupies the eastern and southern parts of the country, comprising more than four-fifths of its territory. The deserts northern part is composed of volcanic lava and basalt, and its southern part of outcrops of sandstone and granite. The landscape is much eroded, primarily by wind. The uplands east of the Jordan River, an escarpment overlooking the rift valley, have an average elevation of 2,0003,000 feet (600900 metres) and rise to about 5,755 feet (1,754 metres) at Mount Ramm, Jordans highest point, in the south. Outcrops of sandstone, chalk, limestone, and flint extend to the extreme south, where igneous rocks predominate.

The Jordan Valley drops to about 1,410 feet (430 metres) below sea level at the Dead Sea, the lowest natural point on Earths surface.

The Jordan River, approximately 186 miles (300 km) in length, meanders south, draining the waters of Lake Tiberias (better known as the Sea of Galilee), the Yarmk River, and the valley streams of both plateaus into the Dead Sea, which occupies the central area of the valley. The soil of its lower reaches is highly saline, and the shores of the Dead Sea consist of salt marshes that do not support vegetation. To its south, Wadi al-Arabah (also called Wadi al-Jayb), a completely desolate region, is thought to contain mineral resources.

In the northern uplands several valleys containing perennial streams run west; around Al-Karak they flow west, east, and north; south of Al-Karak intermittent valley streams run east toward Al-Jafr Depression.

The countrys best soils are found in the Jordan Valley and in the area southeast of the Dead Sea. The topsoil in both regions consists of alluviumdeposited by the Jordan River and washed from the uplands, respectivelywith the soil in the valley generally being deposited in fans spread over various grades of marl.

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Jordan | history - geography | Britannica.com

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a relatively young, politically liberal Arab state in the Middle East. Once the home of ancient biblical kingdoms and outpost of several powerful foreign empires, Jordan fell under Ottoman Empire control in 1516, where it remained until the British took over governorship at the end of World War I. In 1946, Jordan won its independence, establishing a constitutional monarchy under the rule of King Abdullah I.

From 1953 until 1999, Jordan was governed by Abdullah Is grandson King Hussein, who sought to maintain a political balancing act between the many countries and territories that Jordan borders Israel, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the West Bank. During this time, Husseins government often clashed with Jordans large Palestinian population, many of whom resented his annexation of the West Bank in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and refusal to fight for an independent Palestinian state. Concurrently, Hussein also traded hostilities with Israel, culminating in the 1967 Six-Day War in which Jordan lost its claim to the West Bank. In 1994, Hussein signed a peace treaty with Israel, officially ending the war between the two countries.

Husseins son Abdullah II, who took the throne in 1999 after his fathers death, has pledged to work toward a more open government and to ease restrictions on public expression that were tamped down during Husseins long reign. During the 2010-12 Arab Spring, Abdullah II responded to protesters in capital of Amman and elsewhere by putting into place modest democratic reforms, bypassing the violent upheavals that toppled other rulers in neighboring countries. Abdullah IIs government, following the nations pro-Western foreign policy and international peace efforts, continues to be a key ally to the United States and, in 2013, welcomed news that Jordan was elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Since the start of Syrias civil war in 2011, Abdullahs government has also struggled with massive influx of Syrian refugees, who have strained Jordans already limited resources.

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Jordan - The New York Times